No, seriously. It can be done.
Finding deals on Providenciales—the tourist hub of the Turks and CaicosIslands, where a hotel room can cost upwards of $1,700 night—can be challenging. But it’s not impossible. Just take these tips for where to stay and what to do on this 38-square-mile Caribbean isle, and you can do Provo like a pro—with the leftover funds to prove it.
STAY
At Ocean Club and Ocean Club West, sister properties that are located a mile apart, you’ll stay for a relative song in privately owned condo suites that range in size from studios to three-bedrooms and sit on the same Grace Bay sands as resorts that charge three times as much. You’ll also enjoy full exchange privileges and a free shuttle service between both hotels. From $229 and $239, respectively.
If you can bear not to be beachfront on Grace Bay, you’ll reap real savings at La Vista Azul, a condo hotel on the hillside overlooking Turtle Cove Marina. Other pluses: spacious suites, two rooftop pools, and ocean views you simply can’t get from ground level. (Sand-seekers can take solace that the beach is just five minutes’ walk away.) From $195
A former Comfort Suites, Ports of Call has a convenient location in Grace Bay’s Salt Mills Plaza. Rooms are basic, but clean and comfortable. And with Grace Bay’s sand just across the street, and several shops, bars, and restaurants within easy walking distance, you won’t be spending much time in them anyway. From $279 (two-night minimum stay)
DO
Conch is the Turks and Caicos’ biggest export and Provo is home to the world’s only commercial conch farm. Caicos Conch Farm raises thousands of Queen conch in ocean pens just offshore, and although it’s a modest operation that only takes about 30 minutes to tour, it’s certainly worth it, if only to see “stunt conchs” Jerry and Sally, who emerge from their shells on demand, much to kids’ delight. Adults $12; children $8
Potcake Place, a local canine rescue and adoption agency, encourages visitors to stop by their Salt Mills Plaza location at 10am on weekdays to take a stray pup (locally known as a “potcake”) for a walk. The excursions provide much-needed socialization for the playful dogs, and a free and fun time for their human foster friends.